[NYer]

Bishop Ronald Gainer presided as Mike Allen and his family were confirmed as Roman Catholics on Aug. 13.

[NYer]

A heartwarming story.

[xzins]

I, too, am a United Methodist pastor and a graduate of Asbury Seminary. I think (not positive) that my path has crossed that of Mike Allen at some point. I have one other friend (pastor) who has gone Catholic (Byzantine), and I'm in occasional contact with him. He was a courageous pastor, and it was a loss for the denomination when he went elsewhere.

There are some appealing things about the Catholic Church, but there are also a few that I doubt could be overcome; not the least of which is my calling into ministry.

Nonetheless, I consider myself in both the spiritual and kingdom lineage of those on whom hands have been laid since the inception of the church.

[connectthedots]

Today, switching from Protestantism to Catholicism (or vice versa) is common.

This article appears to be pretty fair and balanced; even if I could never see myself becoming a roman catholic, for a number of reasons.

[livius]

We have a former Methodist who is a priest here. The problem is that he hasn't really made the switch - possibly because he converted a long time ago, around the time of VatII, when people were not really challenged to accept the truth. He brought Methodist wishy-washiness to the Catholic Church, which did not exactly need it at that point...and he still seems to believe that the Church is one giant therapy/12-Step group, which is the current Methodist model.

Oddly enough, it seems that since the election of BXVI, he's been trying very hard to become Catholic. So maybe there's hope.

[ex-snook]

The LEAD KINDLY LIGHT poet, John Henry Newman, was a Anglican priest who joined the Catholic Church. He put it this way "converts come to the Catholic Church not so much to lose what they have, but to gain what they have not; by means of what they have, more may be given to them..."

  Lead Kindly Light

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home--
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me. 

[RnMomof7]

It never surprises me when Methodist moves to Catholicism.

Wesley was part of the counter reformation.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

The Catholics need someone to come over and help clean out the pedophiles in the priesthood.

[Salvation]

BTTT! Be back later.

[k2blader]

I hope they turn out okay.

[Coleus]

Most ministers are full-time clergymen who are paid and usually provided with a home. I often wonder how they earn their livings after switching to catholicism.

[Sloth]

Some clergy converts are kicked out of the pulpit and quickly evicted from church housing, Anderson said.

Well, duh.

[Quix]

I wonder where we might find the write-ups of the 10's of thousands of stories of the Romans who've converted to Pentecostalism/Charismatic doctrines in South America.

[Coleus]

Bishop Ronald Gainer presided as Mike Allen and his family
were confirmed as Roman Catholics on Aug. 13.